Liquid cooling device

ABSTRACT

A liquid cooling device has a main liquid block, a pump, a heat sink, and at least one auxiliary liquid block that are in fluid communications. The auxiliary liquid block has a body and a partition that separates the body into a reservoir and a heat-absorbing chamber. The reservoir and the heat-absorbing chamber communicate with and other via a through hole on the partition. Since the heat-absorbing chamber is mounted to be adjacent to an electronic component that generates heat, the fluid in the heat-absorbing chamber absorbs the heat. When the fluid in the heat-absorbing chamber vaporizes and decreases the fluid in the reservoir has a higher level and thus flows to the heat-absorbing chamber via the through hole. Therefore, the heat-dissipating ability of the liquid cooling device is increased.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a liquid cooling device and, in particular, toa liquid cooling device with a longer heat-dissipating ability.

2. Description of Related Art

In usual computer operations, the central processing unit (CPU) oftenhas the highest working temperature. To efficiently reduce itstemperature, a modern approach is to dispose a liquid cooling device onthe CPU. The heat-dissipating device absorbs heat generated by the CPUand dissipates it.

The above-mentioned liquid cooling device mainly includes a liquidblock, a pump, and a heat sink. The liquid block is filled with acoolant and mounted on the CPU to directly absorb heat generated by theCPU. The liquid block is further in fluid communications with the pumpand the heat sink via tubing. Therefore, the coolant is driven by thepump to circulate between the heat sink and the liquid block. Thecoolant exchanges heat with the liquid block when the coolant flowsthrough the liquid block. After the coolant dissipates the heat when itflows through the heat sink, the coolant circulates back to the liquidblock for heat exchange again.

However, the coolant absorbing the heat may vaporize and reduce thecirculating amount. This will reduce the overall heat-dissipatingefficiency.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the invention is to provide a liquid cooling device thathas more coolant in order to elongate the heat-dissipating time.

To achieve the above-mentioned objective, the disclosed liquid coolingdevice includes: a main liquid block, a pump, a heat sink, and at leastone auxiliary liquid block. The main liquid block is filled with acoolant and disposed on a heat-generating electronic device forabsorbing its heat. The pump is disposed on the main liquid block and influid communications with the main liquid block. The heat sink is influid communications with the pump via a tubing. Each auxiliary liquidblock is filled with the coolant therein and includes a body and apartition. One side surface of the body is in contact with aheat-generating electronic device for absorbing its heat. The body has areservoir and a heat-absorbing chamber. The heat-absorbing chamber isadjacent to the heat-generating electronic device. The partition isdisposed inside the body between the reservoir and the heat-absorbingchamber and formed with at least one through hole connecting thereservoir and the heat-absorbing chamber. The outer wall of the body isformed with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet that are respectively influid communications with the reservoir and the heat-absorbing chamber,and the main liquid block and the heat sink via tubing.

Using the above-mentioned technical features, the reservoir can holdmore coolant. When the coolant inside the heat-absorbing chamber of theauxiliary liquid block absorbs heat and vaporizes, the coolant in thereservoir will replenish it via the through hole between the reservoirand the heat-absorbing chamber. This can effectively elongate theheat-dissipating effect of the liquid cooling device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an operational perspective view of a first embodiment of aliquid cooling device in accordance with the invention disposed on amother board having two groups of power transistors;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the liquid block in accordancewith the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the liquid block filledwith the coolant in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the liquid block inaccordance with the present invention when some of the coolantvaporizes;

FIG. 6 is an operational perspective view of a second embodiment of theliquid cooling device in accordance with the present invention mountedon a mother board having one group of power transistors;

FIG. 7 is a front plan view of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the second embodiment of the liquid coolingdevice disposed on another mother board having a group of powertransistors;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a heat sink in accordance with thepresent invention; and

FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view of the heat sink of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a first embodiment of the liquidcooling device is used to dissipate heat generated by electroniccomponents, such as power transistors 2 and chipsets 3, on a verticalmother board 1. In this embodiment, the mother board 1 has two groups ofpower transistors 2 and a chipset 3.

The liquid cooling device includes a main liquid block 60, a pump 30, aheat sink 40, a first auxiliary liquid block 10, and a second auxiliaryliquid block 20.

The main liquid block 60 is mounted on the chipset 3 to absorb heatgenerated by the chipset 3. The main liquid block 60 has a chamber (notshown) for holding a coolant.

The pump 30 is mounted on the main liquid block 60 and in fluidcommunications with the liquid block 60. The pump 30 imposes a pressureon the coolant for the coolant to flow.

The heat sink 40 is connected with the pump 30 via a tubing 50. Withfurther reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, in this embodiment, the sink 40includes a heat-dissipating assembly 41 and two containers 42, 43. Theheat-dissipating assembly 41 has several heat-dissipating blades 411 andmultiple fluid passages 412 that communicate between the two containers42, 43 for the coolant to flow therein as indicated by arrow symbols,and the heat-dissipating blade 411 can abut between two adjacent fluidpassages 412.

The two containers 42, 43 are mounted on both sides of theheat-dissipating assembly 41, respectively. The fluid passages 412communicates with the two containers 42, 43. One of the containers 43 isconnected with the pump 30 via a tubing 50. The other container 42 canbe connected to the auxiliary liquid block 10 via a tubing.

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, the above-mentioned first auxiliaryliquid block 10 includes a body 11 and a partition 12.

The body 11 is mounted on one group of the power transistors 2. The body11 is hollow and is separated into a reservoir 111 and a heat-absorbingchamber 112 by the partition 12. The bottom surface of the body 11 isdefined with a fluid outlet 113 and a fluid inlet 114 that respectivelycommunicate the reservoir 111 and the heat-absorbing chamber 112. Theheat-absorbing chamber 112 is adjacent to the power transistor 2 whenthe first auxiliary liquid block 10 is mounted on the mother board 1. Inthe heat-absorbing chamber 112, multiple fins 115 are formed.Preferably, the fins 115 can protrude one side surface of theheat-absorbing chamber 112 that is adjacent to the power transistors 2to absorb heat generated by the power transistors 2. The coolantexchanges heat with the fins 115. The heat exchange effect is enhancedbecause the coolant has a wider contact surface with the fins 115. Thefluid outlet 113 is in fluid communications with one of the containers42 via the tubing 50. The fluid inlet 114 is in fluid communicationswith the heat-absorbing chamber 112.

The partition 12 is disposed in the body 11 at the boundary between thereservoir 111 and the heat-absorbing chamber 112. The partition 12 isformed with two through holes 121 so that the reservoir 111 and theheat-absorbing chamber 112 are in fluid communications. The two throughholes 121 are adjacent to an inner bottom surface of the body 11.

The structure of the second auxiliary liquid block 20 is basically thesame as the first auxiliary liquid block 10. The second auxiliary liquidblock 20 with one side surface contacts the other group of the powertransistors 2. The fluid outlet 213 is in fluid communications with thefluid inlet 114 of the first auxiliary liquid block 10 via a tubing. Thefluid outlet 214 is in fluid communications with the main liquid block60 via a tubing 50. Therefore, when the pump 30 operates, the coolantcirculates among the pump 30, the heat sink 40, the first and secondauxiliary liquid blocks 10, 20, and the main liquid block 60. Thecoolant flowing through the first and second auxiliary liquid blocks 10,20 exchanges heat with the fins 115, and absorbs heat generated by thechipset 3 when it flows through the main liquid block 60. After thecoolant dissipates the absorbed heat to the heat sink 40, the coolantflows back into the first and second auxiliary liquid blocks 10, 20 andthe main liquid block 60 for further heat exchange.

With further reference to FIG. 4, when the coolant circulates normallyin the first auxiliary liquid block 10, the coolant fills up the entirereservoir 111 and the heat-absorbing chamber 112. With further referenceto FIG. 5, when the coolant vaporizes as it absorbs heat, the coolantlevel in the heat-absorbing chamber 112 drops. Since the reservoir 111and the heat-absorbing chamber 112 are in fluid communications via thethrough holes 121 on the partition 12 and the coolant surface in thereservoir 111 is higher, the coolant flows to the heat-absorbing chamber112 via the through holes. Thus, the reservoir 111 can increase theoverall storage capacity of the coolant of the whole liquid block 10 andtimely replenish the heat-dissipating chamber 112 when some of thecoolant in the heat-dissipating chamber 112 vaporizes, thus elongatingthe heat-dissipating ability of the first auxiliary liquid block 10. Thesame principle applies to the second auxiliary liquid block 20 as well.

Please refer to FIGS. 6, 7, and 8. The second embodiment of theinvention is similar to the first embodiment. The difference is in thatthere is only one auxiliary liquid block 20′ and one main liquid block60 in the second embodiment because there is only one group of the powertransistors 2 and one chipset 3. The fluid outlet 213′ of the auxiliaryliquid block 20′ is in fluid communications with one of the containers42 of the heat sink 40 via a tubing 50, it's the fluid inlet 214′ is influid communications with the main liquid block 60 via the tubing 50.

Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the presentinvention have been set forth in the foregoing description, togetherwith details of the structure and features of the invention, thedisclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in the details,especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts withinthe principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by thebroad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims areexpressed.

1. A liquid cooling device comprising: a main liquid block being filledwith a coolant; a pump being mounted on the main liquid block and influid communications with the main liquid block; a heat sink connectedwith the pump via a tubing; at least one auxiliary liquid block filledwith a coolant, each of the at least one auxiliary liquid blockcomprising: a body having a side surface for contacting an electroniccomponent that generates heat; a partition formed in the body andseparating the body into a reservoir and a heat-absorbing chamber beingadjacent to the side surface of the body; at least one through holeformed on the partition to communicate the reservoir and theheat-absorbing chamber; a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet beingrespectively in fluid communications with the reservoir and theheat-absorbing chamber and connected via tubing with the main liquidblock and the heat sink.
 2. The liquid cooling device as claimed inclaim 1, the at least one auxiliary liquid block comprising: a firstauxiliary liquid block having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet fluidbeing in fluid communications with the heat sink via the tubing; and asecond auxiliary liquid block having a fluid inlet and a fluid outletare in fluid communications with the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet ofthe first auxiliary liquid block and in fluid communications with themain liquid block via tubing.
 3. The liquid cooling device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the heat sink comprises: two containers being in fluidcommunications with the pump and the auxiliary liquid blockrespectively; and a heat-dissipating assembly composed of multipleheat-dissipating blades and multiple fluid passages, each of the fluidpassage communicating the two containers and each heat-dissipating bladebeing mounted between two adjacent fluid passage.
 4. The liquid coolingdevice as claimed in claim 2, wherein the heat sink comprises: twocontainers being in fluid communications with the pump and the auxiliaryliquid block respectively; and a heat-dissipating assembly composed ofmultiple heat-dissipating blades and multiple fluid passages, each ofthe fluid passage communicating the two containers and eachheat-dissipating blade being mounted between two adjacent fluid passage.5. The liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein thepartition in the body of each auxiliary liquid block is formed with twothrough holes adjacent to an inner bottom surface of the body.
 6. Theliquid cooling device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the partition inthe body of each auxiliary liquid block is formed with two through holesadjacent to an inner bottom surface of the body.
 7. The liquid coolingdevice as claimed in claim 3, wherein the partition in the body of eachauxiliary liquid block is formed with two through holes adjacent to aninner bottom surface of the body.
 8. The liquid cooling device asclaimed in claim 4, wherein the partition in the body of each auxiliaryliquid block is formed with two through holes adjacent to an innerbottom surface of the body.